Gluten Free, Low Carb Flax Bread

I will be the first to say that this bread is not really a thing of beauty- at least not to look at. It’s actually kind of plain looking, if I didn’t love it so much I probably would not think much of it. But if you are gluten free (and/or like low carb options) this is the bread for you. My girls love it- they will eat it like crazy if I would let them- but keep in mind this is flax and is quite..eh hem.. fiberous…

Here’s what I love the most about it- it’s soft!! So many gluten free breads are soft when you heat them up, but are hard when cold or sometimes even at room temperature. This bread it so lovely and soft. It makes great sandwiches, just slice a square in half lengthwise and pile in the fillings. I can send my daughter a sandwich to school and not worry that she has to eat a “crouton” sandwich. You can also use use it as a side of bread at dinner, it’s super versatile. It is also amazingly nutritious.

It is a hardy flavored bread- kind of like a true whole wheat or maybe even a rye- not that it tastes like these, it just has a distinct flavor that white bread does not. It’s great for add ins, too- add 1/2 cup of sunflower seads or nuts (super yummy). I have even added in a banana or two to make banana flax squares before- just reduce the water. And I have modified it a bit to a carrot flax bread adding in shreaded carrot, a bit more sugar (not too much) and some walnuts- it was delicoius.

I have yet to have it not turn out (except once it was kind of flat when I used a carton of egg whites instead of the eggs, I don’t recommend that). In my mind it is pretty close to a no fail recipe.

In general, I prefer coconut oil to the olive oil- olive oil has a strong taste that is yummy, but to me it is too strong for this bread’s already distinct flavor.

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl combine the flax meal, baking powder, sugar and salt
3. Make a well in the dry mix and add in the beaten eggs, water and olive oil or melted coconut oil
4. Stir together the wet and dry ingredients- all the other recipes say to let the batter sit for 2-3 minutes to thicken- I don’t really find this necessary
5. Pour the batter into a greased 11-by-7 glass baking dish
6. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until firm in the middle- don’t overbake
7. Cool on your counter and then slice and enjoy

For sandwiches I cut it into 8 slices (then cut each of them in half lengthwise), for other uses you may want to cut them smaller.